Right now the kids and I are sitting in the Smook's new Scooters Coffee Shop! If you are ever in Bellevue be sure to stop by at 22nd and Caphart Rd! Tonight we are going to enjoy the fruit smoothies... I have to admit that I absolutely adore the 4 Berry Blend Smoothie (which has probably contributed to at least one of the extra inches on my hips!).
Robb is busy working nights this week and the kids and I are enjoying the laziness of the vacation from school. I think I have been the most lazy of all of us! I get up and I don't want to do anything! I try to stay in my pajamas as long as possible (till the husband's teasing gets on my nerves). Robb doesn't have that much room to to talk though, since he has been known to not get dressed till way in the afternoon - the only difference is that he is still in bed and at least I am awake!
Ok, I am a bit of an expert on coffee shops and I am not being biased when I say this is the nicest Scooters I have ever seen! Wow! I am impressed! I give the Smook's Scooters two big thumbs up!
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
My Family
I have the greatest family and the Lord has blessed me with a wonderful wife and four awesome children. Christmas has been great, spending time not only with the in-laws, but spending time wih my family.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Had to do it!
Kristen, I know that you warned me that this better not end up on the internet but...
...this image deserves to be enjoyed by everyone! Merry Christmas!
Love you sis!
...this image deserves to be enjoyed by everyone! Merry Christmas!
Love you sis!
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Contest at EllaBella Photography!!
I have a little contest going on my blog at EllaBella Photography - but since I seem to NEVER get any traffic there yet I am going to encourage anyone who happens to check in here to go there and vote in my FIVE FAVORITES OF 2006 photo contest.
Here is the link http://ellabellaphotography.blogspot.com/
If I have success I will try to do this on a monthly (if the business allows) basis and then do something bigger on an annual basis. So check in have some fun!
Here is the link http://ellabellaphotography.blogspot.com/
If I have success I will try to do this on a monthly (if the business allows) basis and then do something bigger on an annual basis. So check in have some fun!
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Merry Christmas - our Christmas letter via BLOG
Ok, I apologize to those of you hoping for our annual newletter - for several reasons it just never got done this year. I hope that our new blog will keep you all as entertained and even better updated on our family. Please leave us comments we would love to hear from you!
Our Christmas Card
Elle started home school kindergarten this year. She is learning the facinating world of numbers, letters, reading and writing. She colors pictures, matches things that go together, finds things that don't belong and best of all is learning how to follow directions! Her world is very girly with dancing and dolls and horses. Her brothers do a good job of including her and she does pretty well keeping up. She still has an uncanny ablility to frustrate them to tears, and we are still working on her 'gentle and quiet spirit' She managed another unplanned haircut this year thanks to her brother Ben (who's only excuse was, "She told me to do it!"). She thinks it is unfair that she has to have a room all to herself.
Noah is as much a little goofball as ever! He is now in the 2nd grade and doing really well when he isn't distracted by such important and facinating things such as dust particals and daydreams. That is really our biggest challenge to overcome. He played baseball this year as a rookie and hated it. In his defense it was a pretty rotten experience this year - I hated it for him too. I think the only sport this kid is intested in is if it can be played on GameCube. GameCube - yes, we caved this year and bought the kids a GameCube. Noah has a love/hate relationship with it (he has a love/hate relationship with everything lately!). He loves to play it - he is a little obsessive about it, but when things don't go his way - YIKES! That thing has spent a lot of time in 'time-out' due to attitude management issues. Noah started losing teeth and as you can see from the previous photo post, has the lovely single snaggletooth smile! I see our future orthodontist taking a trip to Maui thanks to our family someday... Noah's sweet little rat Christy passed away this year - tragic for all of us...
Ben just celebrated his 10th birthday! It was the 'Birthday Party Year' and he chose to take his brothers and sister and 3 friends to Planet X. Ben is my 4th grader and is at the top of his class! Ok, I know he is in a class by himself, but he really is doing well. We still have days when school can take ALL DAY with this boy, but that isn't because he struggles with the material - he just has an active imagination which takes over if he isn't being closely supervised! Superman is still king in Ben's world. Ben has started publishing his own newspaper (took me a while to put the newspaper/Clark Kent connection together!) and it will be fun to see if that continues! Anything to get my kids writing! He is still playing piano and enjoying it - though we have to work on practicing! Ben was able to be on the same Little League team with Peter this year, and Robb got to coach them. They did fine, but I think Ben wants to try something different this next year, Ben says he wants to try basketball. He really enjoyed learning fencing earlier this year with Pete and the Pille boys.
Peter is in 5th grade - can I really have a 5th grader??? He, like his siblings, is doing well. We are challenged in math, but he manages to overcome and is doing well (his last test he got a 95%!). Robb and I are proud of Pete and the responsibility he shows (and we are enjoying the benefits of it!). Peter continues to excel at piano, winning a rating of excellent and a trophy at the Summer Music Olympics. He did an great job pitching and catching in baseball and really enjoyed it. He is still the king of 20 questions - always having to know what, when, where and why. Peter has had some challenges this year that have given him opportunities to choose between pleasing man or following God's word. It has been good for Robb and I to watch him struggle through this and be able to encourage him even when what is best isn't always what is easy. He is showing some real growth and fruit in his faith in Christ which causes us to praise God. Pete would like to add this (in his own words), "I have a great Mom and Dad and I love them and I am only getting one present this year for Christmas, but I would be happy with none'. Yeah, that is Pete (though I doubt he would be happy without a gift! He is full of it sometimes!).
Robb. I get to brag on my husband now! He has worked really hard this year at work and at home. At work he is an awesome Arson Investigator, and though has been challenged with some hard fires and other issues, he continues to desire to excel still more for the glory of God. At home he keeps a steady list of projects. Lately it has been splitting the numerous cords of wood piled up in our backyard and woodpile. We should be set for the next couple of years. I certainly have no fears of freezing to death should the power go out! Robb finished the boy's barracks this year, building them bunks stacked 3 high and decorating it all things GI Joe! If he could live in there I think he would. He is looking forward to building a loft bed in Elle's room so we can accomodate all her stuff (how much can one girl own???). Robb has been exercising his spiritual gifts and meets weekly to disciple several different men in the church. It is one of his great loves, to encourage other men in the faith and see Christ's work in their lives. He reads constantly and has gotten a couple of opportunities to teach this past year (another love of his!). On top of all this he has devoted himself to loving his wife and kids first and foremost and he takes every opportunity to make them a priority. Robb has taken the primary roll in Pete and Ben's education so that I can focus on the younger ones. Every Wednesday is Mens-day, and Robb takes that day off to teach and disciple his boys. Saturday mornings are his dates with Elle when he takes her to her dance class then out for a muffin and Daddy time afterwards. Wednesday nights he gives to me as we take advantage of the time the kids are at CTA (Children's Truth Academy) to spend some time together and talk and enjoy each others company. Somehow this man manages to fit 25 hours in a 24 hour day!
Angie - that is me. I am committed to my family. This will be my 5th year home schooling and my first year schooling all 4 of the children! Robb has blessed me by taking more of the responsibility for Ben and Pete, though I still have to get them through their daily work, so my days are spent teaching Elle and Noah and keeping Ben and Pete on task. If you ask my children they would tell you I spend too much time on the computer - they are right... My hobby has turned into a small business as a photographer. I spend a little time taking pictures for people and a lot of time making those pictures something special on the computer. I am still working on balencing it all! At church I am still one of the Shower Coordinators and between all the weddings and babies this past year that has kept us 'showering' the women of OBC! I have been doing a bit of graphic art and logo making for the church as well as of late so I am truly developing my Photoshop skills for the glory of God! This summer was my 20 year high school reunion! So I got to reconnect with most of my friends from High School for the first time in 20 years. It was a surreal experience to say the least!
This year was the year for the BIG Gottsch Family Vacation! In June Robb's parents, Janelle's family, Ryan's family and our family (15 of us in all - 16 if you counted yet to be born baby Will!) traveled by car, truck and suburban to Yellowstone National Park. We got to spend a week taking in the splendor of God's creation and marvel at the beauty of it all. In case you are wondering, we did get to see a black bear in the wild which of course makes the trip a total success! Calll me an idiot (but not to my face, please) but I seriously had no idea that the park was on top of a volcano, or that there were spectacular springs and geysers beyond 'Old Faithful'! It was an amazing experience, and a great time with most of Robb's family (Jason, Parvin and James unfortunately were not able to come).
On a more somber note, Robb's grandmother, Norma, passed away in October. She is missed, and the kids still talk about her often. The enjoyed visiting with her when Robb went to balence her checkbook and pay bills. We are so glad that they had that time to get to know her and we praise God that we were able to minister to her in this way. We were definitly blessed by her.
2006 has been a good year and we are praising God for ALL He has done.
Our Christmas Card
Elle started home school kindergarten this year. She is learning the facinating world of numbers, letters, reading and writing. She colors pictures, matches things that go together, finds things that don't belong and best of all is learning how to follow directions! Her world is very girly with dancing and dolls and horses. Her brothers do a good job of including her and she does pretty well keeping up. She still has an uncanny ablility to frustrate them to tears, and we are still working on her 'gentle and quiet spirit' She managed another unplanned haircut this year thanks to her brother Ben (who's only excuse was, "She told me to do it!"). She thinks it is unfair that she has to have a room all to herself.
Noah is as much a little goofball as ever! He is now in the 2nd grade and doing really well when he isn't distracted by such important and facinating things such as dust particals and daydreams. That is really our biggest challenge to overcome. He played baseball this year as a rookie and hated it. In his defense it was a pretty rotten experience this year - I hated it for him too. I think the only sport this kid is intested in is if it can be played on GameCube. GameCube - yes, we caved this year and bought the kids a GameCube. Noah has a love/hate relationship with it (he has a love/hate relationship with everything lately!). He loves to play it - he is a little obsessive about it, but when things don't go his way - YIKES! That thing has spent a lot of time in 'time-out' due to attitude management issues. Noah started losing teeth and as you can see from the previous photo post, has the lovely single snaggletooth smile! I see our future orthodontist taking a trip to Maui thanks to our family someday... Noah's sweet little rat Christy passed away this year - tragic for all of us...
Ben just celebrated his 10th birthday! It was the 'Birthday Party Year' and he chose to take his brothers and sister and 3 friends to Planet X. Ben is my 4th grader and is at the top of his class! Ok, I know he is in a class by himself, but he really is doing well. We still have days when school can take ALL DAY with this boy, but that isn't because he struggles with the material - he just has an active imagination which takes over if he isn't being closely supervised! Superman is still king in Ben's world. Ben has started publishing his own newspaper (took me a while to put the newspaper/Clark Kent connection together!) and it will be fun to see if that continues! Anything to get my kids writing! He is still playing piano and enjoying it - though we have to work on practicing! Ben was able to be on the same Little League team with Peter this year, and Robb got to coach them. They did fine, but I think Ben wants to try something different this next year, Ben says he wants to try basketball. He really enjoyed learning fencing earlier this year with Pete and the Pille boys.
Peter is in 5th grade - can I really have a 5th grader??? He, like his siblings, is doing well. We are challenged in math, but he manages to overcome and is doing well (his last test he got a 95%!). Robb and I are proud of Pete and the responsibility he shows (and we are enjoying the benefits of it!). Peter continues to excel at piano, winning a rating of excellent and a trophy at the Summer Music Olympics. He did an great job pitching and catching in baseball and really enjoyed it. He is still the king of 20 questions - always having to know what, when, where and why. Peter has had some challenges this year that have given him opportunities to choose between pleasing man or following God's word. It has been good for Robb and I to watch him struggle through this and be able to encourage him even when what is best isn't always what is easy. He is showing some real growth and fruit in his faith in Christ which causes us to praise God. Pete would like to add this (in his own words), "I have a great Mom and Dad and I love them and I am only getting one present this year for Christmas, but I would be happy with none'. Yeah, that is Pete (though I doubt he would be happy without a gift! He is full of it sometimes!).
Robb. I get to brag on my husband now! He has worked really hard this year at work and at home. At work he is an awesome Arson Investigator, and though has been challenged with some hard fires and other issues, he continues to desire to excel still more for the glory of God. At home he keeps a steady list of projects. Lately it has been splitting the numerous cords of wood piled up in our backyard and woodpile. We should be set for the next couple of years. I certainly have no fears of freezing to death should the power go out! Robb finished the boy's barracks this year, building them bunks stacked 3 high and decorating it all things GI Joe! If he could live in there I think he would. He is looking forward to building a loft bed in Elle's room so we can accomodate all her stuff (how much can one girl own???). Robb has been exercising his spiritual gifts and meets weekly to disciple several different men in the church. It is one of his great loves, to encourage other men in the faith and see Christ's work in their lives. He reads constantly and has gotten a couple of opportunities to teach this past year (another love of his!). On top of all this he has devoted himself to loving his wife and kids first and foremost and he takes every opportunity to make them a priority. Robb has taken the primary roll in Pete and Ben's education so that I can focus on the younger ones. Every Wednesday is Mens-day, and Robb takes that day off to teach and disciple his boys. Saturday mornings are his dates with Elle when he takes her to her dance class then out for a muffin and Daddy time afterwards. Wednesday nights he gives to me as we take advantage of the time the kids are at CTA (Children's Truth Academy) to spend some time together and talk and enjoy each others company. Somehow this man manages to fit 25 hours in a 24 hour day!
Angie - that is me. I am committed to my family. This will be my 5th year home schooling and my first year schooling all 4 of the children! Robb has blessed me by taking more of the responsibility for Ben and Pete, though I still have to get them through their daily work, so my days are spent teaching Elle and Noah and keeping Ben and Pete on task. If you ask my children they would tell you I spend too much time on the computer - they are right... My hobby has turned into a small business as a photographer. I spend a little time taking pictures for people and a lot of time making those pictures something special on the computer. I am still working on balencing it all! At church I am still one of the Shower Coordinators and between all the weddings and babies this past year that has kept us 'showering' the women of OBC! I have been doing a bit of graphic art and logo making for the church as well as of late so I am truly developing my Photoshop skills for the glory of God! This summer was my 20 year high school reunion! So I got to reconnect with most of my friends from High School for the first time in 20 years. It was a surreal experience to say the least!
This year was the year for the BIG Gottsch Family Vacation! In June Robb's parents, Janelle's family, Ryan's family and our family (15 of us in all - 16 if you counted yet to be born baby Will!) traveled by car, truck and suburban to Yellowstone National Park. We got to spend a week taking in the splendor of God's creation and marvel at the beauty of it all. In case you are wondering, we did get to see a black bear in the wild which of course makes the trip a total success! Calll me an idiot (but not to my face, please) but I seriously had no idea that the park was on top of a volcano, or that there were spectacular springs and geysers beyond 'Old Faithful'! It was an amazing experience, and a great time with most of Robb's family (Jason, Parvin and James unfortunately were not able to come).
On a more somber note, Robb's grandmother, Norma, passed away in October. She is missed, and the kids still talk about her often. The enjoyed visiting with her when Robb went to balence her checkbook and pay bills. We are so glad that they had that time to get to know her and we praise God that we were able to minister to her in this way. We were definitly blessed by her.
2006 has been a good year and we are praising God for ALL He has done.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Picture Perfect Moments
As I sit here typing I am watching Robb and Elle sit on the couch together watching football. They are discussing the importance of the uniform. Elle likes the pants. Robb has his arm around his little girl and she has her hand on his knee. Where is my camera when I need it??? No matter, the phone rings and the photo is gone - except in my mind. I love my family!
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Ben is Ten!
Yep! Today my second born turned 10 years old! Double digits, it a WAY huge deal. We celebrated by taking the kids and 3 of Ben's friends to Planet X. What is Planet X? You are asking that if you don't live in Omaha, or you are not a pre-teen boy. Planet X is an indoor amusement park - a kind of pre-teen Chuckie Cheese type place with lazer tag, bumper cars, and lots of inflatable toys and the obligatory video games that spit out tickets that you redeem for cheap prizes. The kids, of course had a blast! Ben's theme for the 3rd year in a row (maybe it is 4th! He's pretty loyal to his heros...) was SUPERMAN. He even dressed the part for part of the day in his inflato-super-suit! Ben's dinner of choice was the Superman pizza from Papa Johns (nobody told him it had onions, green peppers and olives on it =o ). Ben is SO loyal to Superman he ate a piece of it anyway only because it was a SUPERMAN pizza! I will have to remember that the next time I serve brocolli or carrots - "They are SUPERMAN veggies Ben!"
Robb turned down a call back this morning for Ben because he knew he couldn't miss his party. Robb got MAJOR wifey bonus points for that! He was blessed to be asked again for the 'last 12' and is now out on a truck for the night! He got the best of both worlds, or he literally got his cake (heehee) and ate it too! He will be back home in the morning and won't have to worry about getting called and missing Church and tomorrow nights baptism service.
ELF is on TV - a family favorite! Nemo and It's A Wonderful Life is also on, so I was outvoted for watching It's A Wonderful Life (I guess the kids haven't discovered the REAL classics yet). I love ELF though.
Happy Birthday Benjamin! We love you little OB-1
Robb turned down a call back this morning for Ben because he knew he couldn't miss his party. Robb got MAJOR wifey bonus points for that! He was blessed to be asked again for the 'last 12' and is now out on a truck for the night! He got the best of both worlds, or he literally got his cake (heehee) and ate it too! He will be back home in the morning and won't have to worry about getting called and missing Church and tomorrow nights baptism service.
ELF is on TV - a family favorite! Nemo and It's A Wonderful Life is also on, so I was outvoted for watching It's A Wonderful Life (I guess the kids haven't discovered the REAL classics yet). I love ELF though.
Happy Birthday Benjamin! We love you little OB-1
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Welcome to our family blog...
We are going to try this blog-thing again. I am sure that if you are here you have some remote interest in our little family and what we might have to say so we will try not to disappoint!
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